Cape Town sets an example
2012/02/17

The City of Cape Town, alongside eThekwini Municipality, was one of the founding local governments for the Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) Pioneer pilot project from 2006-2009.

As one of the first participating local governments to do so, Cape Town has already completed the first deliverables for the LAB Pioneer Biodiversity and Climate Change project. Based on an assessment of the linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the City, a workshop was held for the relevant experts to review the effectiveness of the biodiversity network conservation planning methodology in response to the projected impacts of climate change. The biodiversity network already plays a role in buffering the effects of climate change, but the recommendations from the workshop are also being incorporated into the methodology.

The second step is integrating biodiversity and climate change into action plans, and this has been done by making sure that both the impact on biodiversity, as well as the role of biodiversity in adapting to climate change, is included in the City’s Climate Adaptation Plan of Action (CAPA). The LAB Pioneer Biodiversity and CEPA is also forging ahead, with the status quo of CEPA projects and campaigns outlined in the assessment document, and discussions between the Communications and Biodiversity Branches are underway to formulate a CEPA campaign focused on increasing awareness about the linkages between biodiversity and climate change.